


I can see the sands on the horizon, every time you're not around

by bluelovesstuff



Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Depression, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-03-11 14:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3329870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluelovesstuff/pseuds/bluelovesstuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James is strolling the beach one late night and finds something, or //someone//, that makes his world not seem so dark anymore. </p><p>aka</p><p>James is a surfer that likes to walk the beach at three in the morning and Aleks is practically the curious little mermaid in need of the taste of chips ahoy™.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. running down to the riptide

**Author's Note:**

> of course the title is based on the wonderful 'waves' by mr. probz.  
> the chapter's title is based on 'riptide' by vance joy.  
> hope you enjoy and be sure to leave feedback if you liked it.
> 
>  
> 
> [Fic Playlist](https://8tracks.com/aleksandrthegreat/the-surfer-the-mermaid)  
> [Follow My Tumblr](http://tropicalaleks.tumblr.com/)

_' Wave after wave, wave after wave_ _I'm slowly drifting_

_And it feels like I'm drowning_

_Pulling against the stream '_

 

\--

 

It's one in the morning when James decides to take a walk on the beach.

The air is thick with the smell of the salt water and his toes dig into the sand as he strolls along the shores with an LED flashlight firmly in his hand. The sun had set hours among hours ago and as he passed the beach houses behind him, he saw no sign of life other than a small light on in a house every so often.

He had just gotten the news that he had been accepted into the semi-finals of Miami’s surf nationals and he couldn’t be happier. He’s practically living the dream: living in a large beach house with two best friends, Jordan and Dan, while also getting to experience the thrill of the waters every single day.

Yet, he felt as if he were _missing_ something. He felt _empty_  and to be completely honest with himself, he felt depressed. The two men he called best friends were the closest thing he had to family, since the remainder of his family members practically shunned him for coming out a few years ago; even his loving mother.

Since then, he’s been totally focused on his passion in life: surfing. The feeling of the water underneath him as he caught onto a strong wave was like a breath of fresh air. He slightly wished he could remain in the water all the time; all worries seeming to wash away while he was in it.

He stopped as a small crab scurried in front of him and back into the water, a small laugh emitting from his lips at the sight. He wasn’t afraid of sharks or anything in the water; he’d been surfing since he was a small toddler and not once has the ocean done him any harm except burning his eyes slightly, something that he’s gotten used to over the years.

He looked out at the waters, pointing his flashlight towards the constant forming and foaming of waves. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted what looked to be a group of dolphins flipping their tails in and out of the water. It wasn’t usual for dolphins to be actively moving during night hours and in all his time spent walking these shores, he had never spotted any.

Just then, as he turned to look away from the sight, he heard the sound of a strangled groan. He pointed his light into the water, frantically looking for any sign of someone that was hurt, but found none and furrowed his brow.

He pointed his flashlight forward this time and froze as he saw when looked to be the outline of a body washed up onto the shore ahead of him. He began running towards the body, but immediately halted as his light shined onto a _reflective_ surface, blinding him momentarily.

He blinked and lowered his flashlight, approaching the unconscious individual in confusion until he finally was a mere few feet from the figure; his breath catching in his throat.

Before him was a pale, unconscious brunet that was _covered_ in red scales. From his arms being lightly sprinkled with them to his entire lower half being covered in what looked to be a sparkling rouge tail; this was no normal boy.

James had discovered a mermaid.

He had heard tales of mermaids dragging victims into waters and only releasing them after they had sucked the life out of them or of them being harsh predators that ripped throats out. Granted, he had heard them from Jordan, so they may or may not have been utter _bullshit_. 

But, as James looked and kneeled closely to this boy, he saw no sign of threat in his damp brown hair, soft lips, and dark lashes. He saw no claws on his fingertips or fangs in his open mouth. He looked absolutely harmless.

Upon further inspection, James realized that he was hurt, _badly_. He had a deep gash at the base of his forehead and a few cuts along his chest. James winced at the thought of salt water touching injuries like that; a mere paper cut often burning when he practiced in the water.

He swallowed and reached out to push the hair out of his face to get a better look at the gash; praying that his months as a lifeguard taught him well enough to examine it. Just as he did so, the brunet let out a harsh gasp and winced, causing James to freeze his motions and rise from his leaning position over him.

The brunet’s lids twitched and pried themselves open, blinking as he took in the flashlight’s dimmed light. James’ breath caught in his throat as he made eye contact with the strange boy and the brunet seemed calm until he spotted James’ legs in their crouched position, his eyes immediately widening and his arms pushing himself up in fear.

James lifted his hands in defense, a frown forming as the brunet seemed to be terrified of him, “Woah, _woah_... I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. Look, you’re hurt-”

“Stay the fuck away from me.” The brunet rasped out, glaring.

James’ brow raised as he heard the words exit the the boy's mouth. It’s not that he didn’t expect him to speak English, it just was strange hearing him speak so harshly to him when he appeared so innocent.

James lowered his hands, the tips of his fingers still slightly covered in the boy’s blood, “I can help you, you’re bleeding a lot. I’m not going to hurt you, I would never hurt anybody, much less a mermaid that I just met.”

The brunet’s glare did not soften, but firmed even more, “I’m not a _mermaid._ I’m a guy, you idiot.”

James quirked an eyebrow, “Mer... _man_?” He asked cautiously.

The brunet nodded and winced as he lost the support of his arm, James quickly reaching out to help him, but getting pushed back harshly, “I said don’t touch me, human.” He hissed out.

It was James’ turn to glare, “Look, buddy. I just want to help. My house is just a few minutes away and I would be glad to fix you up because it looks like you can’t even hold yourself up, much less get back into the water. Now, either you can let me help you or you can be stuck here and wait for some other _human_ that is less kind than me to come and find you.”

The brunet’s eyes shut in what seemed to be exhaustion and a sigh escaped his lips, “How do I know that you are not lying, _human_?” He asked skeptically.

James’ lips quirked in smile, “Well, I can tell you that my name is James Wilson and that I’m a surfer. Do you know what that is?”

The brunet blinked his eyes open once again and laid his head back against the sand, “I’ve heard the term before. Are you one of those humans that likes to ride the waves on some type of board?”

James’ smile grew, “Yeah, that’s what I do. I surf and the ocean is practically a second home. I would never hurt anything that came from it, which includes you.”

The brunet pressed his lips together, propping himself up again, “Aleks.”

James tilted his head, not understanding the reply.

The merman sighed, “My name is Aleks, spelt with a -ks.”

James nodded appreciatively at the name, “Well Aleks, it’s nice to meet you,” He paused and watched as the brunet seemed to be losing energy quickly from the blood loss, “Do you want my help?”

The brunet groaned and fell against the sand, a small nod escaping as James reached out for him. His upper body strength was high from surfing and he easily lifted the boy into his arms; carefully not touching any of the cuts on his chest.

It felt strange holding the torso of a human and the warm scales of a merman, but James paid no attention to the it as he felt Aleks lay his head on his shirt gently, fully exhausted.

\--

James pushed the back door open, hearing no sound of his roommates being up as he stepped into the house. Water dripped from the end of Aleks’ tail and onto the wooden floor, but James didn’t care at the moment, he needed to set him down somewhere safe.

Aleks must’ve noticed the change in setting and opened his eyes, gasping out, “ _Water_. I need water, James. You must have some form of water here.”

James nodded and immediately headed towards the bathroom, hoping that Jordan and Dan went to bed early since it was a weeknight like always. It would be his luck that both his roommates would be up the one night he brought home a _merman_.

James flicked on the bathroom light, dimmed it slightly and gently set Aleks into the tub; the tip of his tail partially sticking out from its long length. He assumed that the ocean’s water was average room temperature around this time of year and switched the faucets to that. A sigh of relief escaped Aleks’ mouth as the water pooled around him, sinking into the comforting feeling and making James chuckle as he shut the door behind him and searched for the first aid kit.

When he returned, he found Aleks deeply submerged in the water; his eyes the only thing visible as he seemed to be sleeping in the warmth of it. James smiled and set the med kit down on the closed toilet lid, opening it and pulling out gauze, disinfectant, Neosporin, medical tape, and a roll of medical fabric wrap.

He pushed Aleks’ hair up once again and held it there as he gently dabbed the wound with a clean gauze; getting all the unneeded blood from the area. He then got another clean one and dipped it in disinfectant, bracing himself for Aleks’ tantrum of the burning.

Just as the wet gauze hit Aleks’ cut, a soft cry emitted from his lips and his tail flipped in surprise, splashing water all over James. James’ eyes and mouth went wide as he sat there kneeling in shock.

Aleks glared at the man, “What the fuck? What is that? Why did that hurt so much and why didn’t you warn me?”

James let out a breath, “It’s disinfectant and it’s supposed to clean your wound. It takes all the germs away and I’m trying to get some of that fucking sand out of it.”

Aleks stuck out his bottom lip slightly and sank deeper into the water, “Well, if it’s supposed to help, get on with it then.” He bubbled out.

James smiled at the gesture and lightly pressed the gauze back onto the cut, a wince forming on Aleks’ face as he disinfectant cleaned the wound. James removed the fabric after a few seconds and dabbed it once again with a clean one.

 

He smiled, “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Aleks rolled his eyes, but made no remark as James made the motion of him sitting up. He did so and watched in confusion as James applied some Neosporin onto a gauze.

“What is that?” He asked, pointing to the tube.

James pressed the Neosporin covered gauze to his forehead and held it there until he ripped a few pieces of medical tape and placed it over the gauze, fastening it securely in place. The cut was large, but it wasn’t so deep to the point of stitches, so the cream should do the trick.

“It’s Neosporin. It’s a cream that is gonna help your cut heal.” He explained.

Aleks reached up to touch the now taken care of wound, smiling softly at James, “Thank you...” He mumbled.

James nodded and reached for another gauze and covered it in disinfectant, “You’re gonna have to sit up a little bit more for me to take care of the cuts on your chest now.”

Aleks nodded and pushed himself up, watching as James’ dabbed the fabric across his chest in silence. He took his time to inspect the human; his large brown eyes and thick, curly hair making his mouth part slightly in admiration.

James seemed to notice this and chuckled, “Having fun, Aleksandr?”

Aleks blinked and shook his head, “Uh, how old are you, James?” He asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

James paused his motions momentarily, but resumed them as he met Aleks’ eyes, “I’m twenty-one, if you must now. Just turned legal last month.” He said with a smile.

Aleks nodded carefully, having no clue what he meant by legal, “I’m eighteen, only a three year difference, I see.”

James nodded and threw the dirty gauze into the trash as he grabbed the roll of medical fabric and began wrapping it around Aleks’ torso, “So Aleks, wanna tell me how you got these cuts?” He finally asked.

Aleks swallowed and sighed, “It was nothing, really. My friends and I had just been swimming around by the sharp rocks near the shore and I had taken a left turn too quickly and had got in the current,” He paused and frowned, “They must still be looking for me right now.”

James looked up at him as he clipped the fabric together securely, “I’ll get you back once I’m done with this,” He glanced at his watch, “Which should be soon because the sun’ll be rising in a few hours.”

Aleks nodded and frowned as James’ nursing hands left his chest. He felt his stomach rumble and he fought back the urge to sink into the water. James quirked an eyebrow up at the sound and smiled.

“You hungry?” He asked as he packed up the kit.

Aleks shrugged, “Depends on what you humans eat,” He tilted his head suspiciously, “I heard you eat _fish_ , that’s awful.”

James bit back a smile at the boy’s genuine disgust and nodded, “Well Aleks, it’s not like we’re half- _fish_ , like you. And besides, what do you eat if you don’t eat fish?”

Aleks curled the ends of his tail, “We mostly get vegetation and fruit that we grow underwater.”

James perched himself on the edge of the covered toilet seat, “You’re telling me you’ve eaten seaweed?” He snorted.

Aleks glared playfully, “I would love to see the foods that you humans eat. I’ve heard it’s nothing but fake chemicals and bloody meats.”

James smirked and stood, “I’ll be right back.”

He made his way into the kitchen, grabbing a decent amount of chips, cookies, candies, and a few sodas. He opened the bathroom door and smirked as Aleks’ eyes went wide at the various colors and forms that the food was in. He set them all down onto the counter and opened a bag of Chips Ahoy first.

Handing a single cookie to the merman, he popped one into his own mouth with a crunch, “Here y’go.” He urged, watching as the brunet took it and hesitantly nibbled into it.

He smacked, as if not used to the taste, but then suddenly took a large bite of the sweet, causing James to sputter out a laugh as the brunet made motions for another one.

\--

After consuming his first Coca Cola, Aleks was extremely disappointed that he did not have these luxuries back home. He had to admit that humans had a way of making things taste good and as he gazed up at the bright eyed human before him, he almost wished that he could stay here, with him.

Just as he pondered the thought, James checked his watch and saw that it was now four and the sun would be rising in about an hour and a half. He had to get Aleks back into the water before early rising surfers and joggers started to appear on the beach.

He smiled sadly at the merman, “We gotta get you back, Aleksandr.”

He brunet paused his gentle splashing motions and tilted his head at the name, “I like it when you use my full name, human.” He blurted, immediately clamping his mouth shut as a smile curved on James’ lips.

He bubbled out a laugh at the now flustered boy, “Well, if it makes any difference I like using it.”

Aleks smiled softly and blinked as James gathered all the bags of food and placed them in a trash bin in the corner of the bathroom. He then gestured for Aleks to sit up so he could pick him up.

Aleks did not budge though. He had made his decision. He shook his head and crossed his arms gently across his chest. James frowned at this and furrowed his brow, kneeling to be eye level with the merman.

Aleks looked away from the man’s warm gaze, “I’m not leaving.”

James’ eyes went wide, “What do you mean, Aleks? We gotta get you home to your friends and family-”

“I’m not leaving you.” He finally murmured out, gazing at the man in desperation.

James couldn’t find words. He had just helped this eighteen year old boy, had just found him laying helplessly on the beach, and he wants to stay here, with _him_. There was no doubt that James had found himself staring at the way the boy’s lips curled or that way his eyes were speckled with a slight burgundy that went well with his tail... But even if he wanted- and he _wanted_ \- him to stay, there was no way that he could.

Aleks needed water and he had a tail and he  _couldn’t_ stay.

James choked on his own words, “Aleks, you _can’t_. You live in the water and you can’t survive up here for long-”

Aleks shook his head, splashing the waters, “You can come with me, then. I can turn you into a merman.” He blurted.

James’ eyes softened, “Aleks, I- I don’t want to be a merman,” He paused and watched as Aleks’ brow furrowed, “I want to be a human and be able to surf and walk and run around. Friends shouldn’t have to _change_ for one another, Aleks.”

Aleks clenched his fists in frustration, “Well, what are we going to fucking do James? I’m not just going to... forget that all this happened.”

James brushed a piece of hair from the brunet’s forehead, “You’ll have to.” 

\--

James grabbed his surfboard strap and hooked it to his back before he began carrying Aleks back into the water. He set the frowning merman down into the shallow water gently, watching as the badges held their place on his body as he slowly merged himself back into the water.

James unhooked his board from his back and strapped the bracelet onto his ankle safely before following him into the water and placing the board down onto the water.

Aleks brightened instantly and swam around him as he climbed onto his board and sat up properly; the sky still dark and the moon still bright as they stared at one another.

Aleks motioned for him to follow and James began to paddle on his stomach, following the merman to a jumble of large rocks. They were quite sharp and James never dared to approach them due to the fact, but as he neared closer, he realized that there was an opening between them.

Aleks grabbed his wrist and tugged it like a child, popping underwater and unhooking James’ attachment to his board; tucking the large piece of plastic between a nook in the rocks and securing it. James held back a yelp as Aleks suddenly pulled him under, the sight of his hair sticking up in all directions making him rumble out a laugh underwater.

Aleks pulled him deeper and James followed, his legs shredding through the water and barely keeping up with the younger’s strong tail. They swam straight down a dark area and then back up again at a sharp angle to a small light. James almost felt his lungs begin to burn before they finally reached the surface again.

He took a gasping breath as he tread in place, blinking as he took in his surroundings.

They were in an underwater cave of some sort. It had its own smoothed rock surface and a large place that James could tell was large enough for him to stand and walk around. He paddled over to the ledge and hoisted himself up, a small laugh erupting from Aleks at the sight of the exasperated human.

James stared at him, eyes wide and a smile pulling at his lips, “You could’ve told me we were going fucking _scuba diving_ , y’know?”

Aleks tilted his head and swam over, resting his arms and head on the ledge, “Sorry, I just wanted to surprise you,” He paused and gestured to the cave’s walls, “So, what do you think? Isn’t it cool?”

James glanced around and nodded, “It’s strange. I’ve never noticed that opening in the rocks before. Do you come here a lot?”

Aleks shrugged and tapped the hard ledge with his fingers, “My friends and I used to come here when we were little and play hide and seek behind all the rocks. We’d sometimes sit up where you’re sitting too, but we had to made sure we had our tails in the water.”

James smirked and patted the spot beside him, “Well c’mon up here then, Aleksandr.” He teased.

Aleks rolled his eyes playfully, “Maybe next time. I just kinda wanted to show you this so you could visit... if you wanted to.” He murmured out.

James smiled at his nervousness, “Dude, I’ve just made friends with a merman. How will I not come visit you?”

Aleks smiled at that and slowly backed away, throwing him a wink before disappearing under the water and splashing his sparkling tail at James in goodbye.

 

\-- **  
**


	2. royal

“I’m telling you, we’ve got it all wrong!”

Eddie and Seamus glanced to one another before sending their delusional friend an ‘are you serious’ look. Aleks groaned and pulled at his hair before sinking back onto the seafloor.

“When the King finds out,” Seamus uttered.

Aleks' eyes widened and he pointed to the blond, “He’s not going to find out, right?” 

Seamus raised his hands in defense, “Whatever, I’m just saying your grandfather and dad are gonna kill you. You’re next in line for the throne after your dad and you think it’s okay that you see a human? Yeah, I'm _sure_ that’ll work out great.”

Aleks looked to Eddie hopefully, “You believe me right, that he really isn't as we think humans are? He’s nice and kind and not a _monster_ -”

Eddie placed a hand on the younger’s shoulder, “Look Aleks, I’m happy for you, I really am. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. He’s doesn’t belong here and you don’t belong up there. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Aleks gazed up to the sun shimmering through the water's waves, “Well, I’m not going to stop seeing him because of some law,” he paused and took Eddie by the forearms, shaking him with a large smile. “I’m going to go wait for him. We agreed that we’d meet every other day at sundown. It’s almost sundown.”

Eddie smiled softly and watched as his best friend, the prince similar to a younger brother to him, swam off out of sight. Seamus hit the older man’s purple tail with his own blue one in an attempt to get his attention. 

Eddie called out in over exaggerated pain, “What was that for?” He asked.

Seamus shook his head, “You should’ve been honest with him. You and I both know that this isn’t going to work out well, for  _anyone_.”

Eddie pressed his lips together, “I know, but I couldn’t crush him like that, Seamus. This is the first instance in a long time that he’s truly taken interest in someone. If that someone just happens to be a human surfer, then let it be.”

Seamus sighed, “I just hope that that human knows what he’s dealing with. If Aleks comes back and shuts us out again because of some _ignorant_ human, I'll-”

Eddie giggled and shoved the blond, “Stop it, you wouldn't hurt a _guppy_. Let’s head home, we need to make up an excuse with his dad before he starts asking questions.”

\--

Aleks sat on the ledge of the rock, running his fingers over the now healed cuts on his chest absentmindedly. He had to avoid his ever-interrogating father a few days after the incident in order to avoid explaining the truth behind the bandages. Now however, when his father mentioned the scratches, Aleks would simply say that it was from a few inept coral scratches.

His eyes flew to the forming of bubbles in the center of the cave’s water and he smiled as he saw the familiar set of eyes pop up to the surface. James smiled when he met the brunet's eyes, paddling over to the ledge and easily hopping beside him to sit shoulder to shoulder to regain his breath.

He was wearing the same type of ‘surf shirt’ that he always wore that clung to his chest and shoulders. Along with that, he wore what he explained to Aleks as ‘swim trunks’ that were supposed to be used for swimming activities due to the special type of fabric they were composed of.

James bumped his shoulder against his playfully, “Hey, are you listening?” He laughed.

Aleks blinked and dishonestly nodded, causing James to hum in disbelief, “What was I saying?”

Aleks opened his mouth, closing it quickly and looking away out of embarrassment as James nodded in satisfaction, “C’mon _Aleksandr_ , pay attention here.” He laughed and rolled his eyes teasingly, “I was asking if you maybe wanted to come see me compete tomorrow.”

Aleks’ eyes widened in interest, “Compete? As in, a surfing competition?”

James nodded, lazily treading his feet in the water, “Yeah, I told you that it’s a national team and I don’t know- I _just_ thought that maybe if _you_ were there, I would have support on the beach as well as in the water.”

Aleks smiled and thought that it was amusing that James was treating him as if he was a good luck charm, “Of course, I’ll be there.”

James smiled gratefully and Aleks wondered for a moment if the man _truly_ thought that he'd say no to the offer, “It’s only a couple minutes from here. If I can remember, it’s called Clearwater Beach.”

Aleks recognized the name immediately, “Yeah, that’s right near that enormous coral reef I went to last week.”

James tilted his head in curiosity, “The one with the poisonous species of fish? We had to put up a barrier net because of that; someone got hurt.”

Aleks frowned, “James, it’s not the fish's fault. They get frightened easily with that many people around and it’s been a coral reef for far longer than it’s been a _public beach_.” He defended.

James pressed his lips together, knowing he had just broken into a sensitive subject for the merman, “Yeah, but they hurt _kids_ , Aleks.”

Aleks sent James an exasperated expression, “That doesn’t mean that they have to cut off half of the space on that beach! Those waters were full of fish until that net was put up. So many homes had to be relocated.”

James couldn't understand Aleks’ perspective. His home was the ocean. Putting up that net was like putting up a wall in the middle of one of his ‘highways.' It stopped fish from swimming freely and multitudes of Aleks’ kind had been caught in them to the extent of fatal injuries.

James surprised the brunet with a touch of his forearm, “I’m sorry that they put it up, Aleks. I didn't think about how much it affected you.” He admitted softly.

Aleks glanced at the human, spotting the sincerity in his eyes and finally giving him a small, reassuring smile, “It’s not your doing. It’s the people that don’t know of us that put up the netting and their unawareness isn’t their fault.”

James smiled as Aleks stared into the water, a pondering expression on his face. Slowly and steadily, the older reached out to touch the slightly scaled hand. Aleks glanced at the dark haired man as his thumb swiped over the small patch of rouge over pale skin. James placed his own hand next to it, as if comparing the tones and lack of color.

Aleks smiled, “Are you _jealous_ of my scales, James Wilson?” He asked, lifting his hand and placing it on his tail for effect.

James blinked and attempted to compose himself, “ _What_ \- fuck no, I'm just, they’re just really nice and... red, I guess.” He stumbled out.

Aleks laughed softly and craned his neck to the side, inspecting the human, “I wonder, what color you would have if you were a merman? You know how I was telling you about-”

James’ smile fell at the spoken thought, “Aleks.” He gently warned.

Aleks turned away with frustration in his features, pulling his arms across his stomach in irritation, “This would be so much easier if you would just- just _cooperate_ with me here. I’m _trying_ , I really am, it’s just that you act as if we’re going to just keep fucking doing _this_ forever and I don’t know if I can just see you _every other day_ , you ass-”

James pulled him back to face him fully, pressing himself forward and brushing his mouth against the younger’s cheek slowly. Aleks froze and James inhaled the sweet and salty scent of the spending your entire life in the ocean’s waters, nudging his lips gently against the younger’s jaw smoothly.

James let out a deep breath as he pushed himself from the brunet, noticing the wide and hazed eyes of the younger and letting out a chuckle.

Aleks mouth curved downwards, “Why did you do that? Don’t you remember what I told you about the myth about what you do if kiss a mer-”

James shrugged, “It’s a promise."

Aleks felt disoriented all of a sudden, dizzy perhaps due to the way James had just touched his skin with his lips combined with the way he was staring at him, “A promise? For what, may I ask?”

James quirked his lips into an encouraging smile, “A promise that I’m not going to leave you.”

\--

Aleks let out a panted breath as he emerged from the waves and to the warm surface.

He hoped he wasn’t late, not to James' first competition. He blinked and kept low as he spotted many surfers practicing in the waters, but saw no sight of James. He submerged himself into the waters once again, making sure to stay clear of surfers as he swam over to another set of rocks in an attempt to find James’ bright blue board either on the shore or in the waters.

He squinted and held back the urge to sway his noticeable tail as he pressed himself against the smoothness of the rock. He spotted many tan and dark haired men carrying blue boards, but none of them were his bright eyed human.

Just as he was about to sink back into the current in defeat, his ears caught the sound of yelling.

“Yeah James! Go get ‘em, James!” A pair of men shouted from the shore.

The taller and waving of the two wore a red hat, James had explained that they kept the sun out of other human’s eyes, one of James’ tight black surf shirts --that Aleks may or may not have recently discovered he _loves_ on James--, a pair of navy ‘swim trunks’, and his own dark red surf board. The other, who was jumping and held some type of shiny and reflective black box around his neck that was attached with a strap, wore a black t-shirt and a pair of green ‘swim trunks’.

Aleks tilted his head at the odd pair and followed their line of vision to a figure that was beginning to stand on a bright blue board as a medium sized wave caught on the water. Aleks smiled brightly and lowered his head as he watched the figure gracefully level himself on the plastic and extend his arms as he touched the water with his fingertips.

He was so steady and looked to be in his natural element as he swiped the board forward and over the rim of the wave, falling back into the flow of the water not a second later. There was a loud cheer from the crowd and Aleks jumped as he heard a loud voice erupt from the shore.

“And here we have James Wilson in blue who is warming up for his first competitive round of the season. He’s new to the Miami’s mettlesome team, but seems to have no problem with the waves on this fine day!”

Aleks could see James smile  at the introduction and lifted a hand to wave at the large crowds of people on the shore; specifically to the pair of men who were cheering earlier. Aleks wondered if those were the roommates that James spoke so much about.

Just as James was about to skim the wave again, a loud whistle was heard that immediately made James crouch in a steadied position; easing off the wave and paddling his way to shore.

Aleks rested his chin against his arms as he watched the older emerge from the waters and run over to his friends. He hugged them briefly and seemed to be talking for a moment until he began to run over to a small group of people who all seemed to be wearing the same color shirt as his own. Aleks realized that those -- one, two, _three_ \-- other men were his teammates and began to wonder the goal of this competition. Did James aim to win solely for himself or as a team in the end?

The piercing whistle rang again and the voice reappeared as well, “For the first heat of the competition, we will be randomly choosing four surfers who will compete from each team,” He paused and Aleks held his breath as he waited for the names, “From Santa Cruz, we have Ellis Kirk, from Santa Barbara, we have Ace Peyton, from Hawai‘i Manoa we have Margret Akoni, and from our good ole’ city of Miami, James Wilson!”

The four competitors walked forward and shook one another’s hands, each color shirt that they wore contrasting greatly so that they were seen in the waters. Aleks bit back a smile as James kept casting out his gaze into the waves, as if he was trying to spot the merman.

Aleks desperately wanted to cheer on the human just as his human friends did, but he knew he couldn’t. He simply had to watch and keep quiet as James began to paddle out into the calm water; a wave not in sight for miles.

Aleks frowned at this and disappeared from his spot behind the rocks and back into the salt water. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes tightly, focusing the breathing in his chest and adjusting his mind to clear for just _one_  moment; that was all it took.

He shaped his hands, as if he was holding an invisible mass in his hands, twisting and gripping it; flexing his fingers as he continued to form a sphere in his hands. He continued to rotate his hands around the invisible object until he felt the _spark_ that he needed to continue.

It connected him to the ocean and he exhaled deeply as he felt every single pull of the waters: the currents, the tide, and most importantly in this moment, the waves. He began to move the ball of energy in his palms in a side motion, then a forward motion, making the energy move the waters in the radius move along with him.

Aleks concentrated on keeping the waves a float for a few more seconds until the tide took control and continued the cycling of the large waves for him. He smiled at the sight above him and darted back up to the surface, spotting an ecstatic James paddling towards the first wave that Aleks had concocted.

“It looks like Wilson is daringly heading for that monster of a wave in the far left of the competition zone! We haven’t seen anything but good things in the previous regionals, so the judges expect no faults in his attempt this time!”

The voice only seemed to encourage James to paddle faster to the curling wave, smiling to himself as he turned and allowed the wave to lift his board, his legs firmly grounding him onto the surface as he leveled himself once again and eased himself into the wave.

Aleks mouth parted in what he could only describe as awe as James skirted across the clear water, doing a variety of sharp twists and smooth angling against the pressure of the water.

“With a perfect aerial, backhand, and carving techniques, James Wilson is the first to receive a score of 9.6, almost giving his team a guaranteed spot in the next round!”

Aleks involuntarily cheered with the crowd and immediately covered his mouth as he flipped back into the water, his face burning as just as he dove back into the water he caught a glimpse of James’ head darting to the sound of his exclaim.

He swallowed and ran a hand through his flowing hair, slowly merging into the surface and curling his fingers around the rock as he spotted a confused appearing James whose eyes scanned the water around him.

Aleks wished that he could swim over to him and tell him how great he was, but it was daylight and Aleks was almost sure that people would see his tail from miles away.

After James finally stopped searching, for no doubt Aleks, he paddled back to the shore and was greeted by his teammates and friends, taking a long sip from a bottle and wiping his face with some sort of cloth.

Aleks furrowed his brow when a group of men around James’ own age walked over and shoved James’ shoulder in an attempt to be playful, but only causing one of James’ teammates to yell in return. James’ shoulders straightened at the shove and he edged forward to the man’s face, pointing to his own chest and then back to the waters again before turning around and motioning for his teammates and friends to follow.

Aleks glared at the group of men that were left standing, their laughter and taunts so loud that Aleks could hear their thick voices from here. They wore bright yellow surfing shirts and Aleks glanced into the water to see that it was Santa Cruz’s color.

The member of the team was just now beginning to make his way to a large wave, much larger than James’ difficult appearing wave, determination in his movements as he turned to let the wave carry him.

Something unknown burned inside Aleks as he looked to the shore once again to see the smirking and amused faces of the men who pushed James, and he let out a long breath as he glanced back to the yellow shirted surfer.

He flicked his wrist and suddenly there was a cease in the wave’s power, a dip occurring where the surfer’s board was steadied, causing the overly confident man to lose his balance and tumble through the wave.

“Oh, and it looks like Kirk didn’t even get the chance to begin his wave, yet the judges must count the attempt and receives a solid 3 for the run!”

Aleks covered his mouth to hide a laugh at the disappointed faces of Santa Cruz’s team. His eyes glancing to James’ corner of the shore where he held his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun, his loud and red shirt wearing friend handing him a pair of ‘sunglasses’ not a second later.

He still hadn’t spotted the merman hiding behind the large rocks as the two remaining surfers scored higher than Santa Cruz, knocking the team from the competition and moving onto the next round.

Aleks watched intently as James paced restlessly against the sand covered shore as his teammates performed excellently; the human’s mind stuck on something that Aleks couldn’t pinpoint.

It wasn’t until the final round where the two remaining teams were tied and were allowed to chose a member of their choosing to enter the waters one last time for a bonus round that, apparently, rarely happened.

Aleks bit his lip in nervousness as James was chosen, along with a man from Santa Barbara with the name Brandon Parker. The opponent of James had scored a 9.4, only .2 points away from beating James’ own score. The goal of competition was for the teams to score up to 40 points divided between four members. James’ team currently held 37 points, while the Santa Barbara team held 34. Aleks could feel the tension in the water as he clenched his fists by his sides.

“Okay folks, after a long and exciting competition, we’re finally down to our two remaining surfers: Wilson in blue and Parker in orange. It’s all down to who can score over 40 points and who receives the highest total points. Surfers, good luck!”

James sat up high and attentive as he waited and watched for a chance at a wave. Parker seemed to follow James’ line of sight, Aleks noticed, this way if James saw a wave, so would Parker.

**  
**

Suddenly, two waves began to form, one to the right and one to the left of the boundaries of the competition. One of the waves was already showing the potential of what James described as a ‘tube’. He described it as a rare thing to happen, but an amazing feeling. It was when a surfer was completely tucked between the lip and the face of the wave, enclosing the surfer in a cylinder as they rode through the ‘tube’.

That was the wave to James’ right, the wave to James’ left on the other hand looked pitiful as it rolled softly towards the shore.

Aleks’ eyes widened when he began to see James paddling to the left, completely ignoring Parker’s confused expression as he himself began paddling to the right.

Aleks turned from his spot on the rock to watch James fully. The wave that he was aiming for looked weak and Aleks was pulling at his hair as he simply wanted to shout to the surfer that the wave wasn’t going to give him enough points to win.

Parker’s wave was already gaining speed, the blond man performing large amounts of control and skill as he ended the wave and was given a score of 9.4 out of 10. The wave didn’t end up forming a ‘tube’ as Aleks had thought, but Parker seemed confident as he paddled back to the shore and watched as James approached his wave.

Aleks breath suddenly hitched in his throat as he felt James’ wave suddenly surge and change shape, something that was not Aleks’ doing. His eyes widened when James joined the wave’s motions, a small smile appearing on the older’s face as he stood proudly and skimmed over the top of the wave before falling back into the motion of shredding the thick and powerful water.

Aleks smiled brightly when James’ gaze finally met his location, waving slightly and giving him a discrete thumbs up.

The action seemed to encourage the surfer as he lowered his stance on the board, allowing the wave to hollow and curl over him, disappearing from Aleks’ vision momentarily. Aleks froze and saw no sign of the bright blue for a few seconds until the human emerged from the tunnel and Aleks smiled in relief.

“And here we have it, Wilson catching an astounding full tube in today’s competition,” He paused and James ended the wave with a swipe of his board, “Earning himself a total of...”

Aleks kept his eyes on James, who seemed to be doing the same.

“9.9!”

Aleks cheered along with the screaming crowd and watched as James purposely paddled over to Aleks’ area behind the rocks, not slowing his motions, but winking and beaming at the merman.

“You helped me with that last wave. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it until I saw you.” He confessed with a smile, his eyes now focused on the shore as he continued to paddle.

Aleks laughed and ducked back into the water, not holding back the small smile that remained on his face throughout the day.

\--

James took a bite into the apple that he had ziplocked and watched as the merman in front of him watched attentively; his tail easing from side to side as he laid his head on the ledge of where James sat.

James watched the muscle move and tilted his head, “Hey Aleks, are all merpeople’s tails the same color or do you have your own color? Like you asked about what color I would have. Does that mean that everyone has their own color?”

Aleks blinked and glanced back at his tail, the thing that James’ eyes were locked on, “Well yeah. You’re actually born with a completely white tail and then the color just starts to develop overtime. I don’t know if there’s an actual reason of the coloring, but I like mine,” He paused and held back a scowl, “I just hate the silver. If my tail was just red, then I would be perfectly happy with it.”

James frowned at the self-degrading statement, “Hey, I really like the silver in your tail. Why don’t you like it?”

Aleks sighed and began to chew at the skin of his lip, “There’s something that I haven’t been completely honest about and I fucking hate myself for not telling you sooner, but I just wanted to forget about it all together when I was with you.”

James leaned forward, edging him to continue. Aleks picked himself up from his position and sent James a weary expression as he turned and lifted a piece of hair from his neck to reveal a birthmark.

It was the shape of a trident.

James furrowed his brow and slipped into the water so he could get a closer look at the birthmark that was so perfectly shaped that it almost looked like a tattoo, “What’s this?”

Aleks swallowed as he felt James’ fingers lightly swept over the mark, “It’s a birthmark that I was born with.” He said tightly.

James nodded and watched as Aleks quickly turned and stared at James with wide eyes, “So... you have a really specific birthmark in the shape of a trident. And?”

Aleks pulled at his hair, “You don’t understand what it means.”

James watched him in confusion as he stared back at the older in frustration, “What do you mean? It’s just a birthmark-”

“It’s the royal birthmark.” He said coarsely, making James’ breathing slow for a moment.

“What? You're royalty, Aleks?” James asked.

Aleks crossed his arms and turned himself away from the older, “Yes, I’ve been raised in the ways of a royal, a prince, but I’m still in training, in school. If anything would happen to the King, my grandfather, then my father would take the throne and then after him, I.”

James’ mouth fell open, “Aleks-”

Aleks sighed, “Contact with humans are forbidden to common folk in my kingdom, James,” he paused and met the dark eyes of the human once again. “I’m a  _prince_.”

James reached out to him, causing the younger to flinch in response and back away, “Is this what you were worried about? About me not wanting to be a merman because you’re not allowed to see me? Does your family know about me, Aleks?”

Aleks licked his lips and shook his head, “Only two of my closest friends know, and even they have been making excuses for me, but,” he paused and edged closer to the older. “I don’t care what my family thinks to be completely honest.”

James kept still as Aleks’ fingertips grazed over his tattoo sleeve for what seemed to be like the millionth time since they met, “Why? Other than the bias towards humans, they almost sound... _freeing_ to let you disappear for long periods of time like this to come see me-”

Aleks pressed his lips together and kept his eyes on the colorful ink on tan skin, “They want me to marry, James.” He said softly, “They wanted me to marry on my eighteenth birthday, but I refused and they told me that I would be marrying on my nineteenth birthday.”

James swallowed, “And when is that?”

Aleks met his eyes, “September first.”

James let out a breath of relief and watched as Aleks smiled at the action, “That’s a couple months away then. It’s only the beginning of May.”

Aleks nodded, “But that doesn’t mean that my father isn’t crowding me with noble women  _every single day_. I still haven’t chosen someone.”

James swam back over to the ledge and let out a soft laugh, “I knew something was special about you. Of course, you’re a mer _prince_ , not mer _man_. How fucking _inexcusable_  of me to confuse the two.” 

Aleks laughed at the man, swimming over to him, “What? You don’t want to hang out anymore now? I'm too 'intimidating' now?” He asked, grabbing the human’s hands and fiddling with the smoothness of them and absent of small scales.

James rolled his eyes and smiled, “Whatever, _princess_.”


	3. we're just trying to keep those secrets in a lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title by ed sheeran's 'friends'  
> sorry i haven't posted in a while.

Aleks kept his head low as he stood silently, Seamus and Eddie standing on each side of him as well, their heads bowed from respect.

 

“I cannot believe you, Aleksandr! You missed another meeting with an eligible bride that your grandfather and I had planned. What is your excuse this time?” His father exclaimed.

 

Aleks swallowed and gazed up into his father’s stern and frustrated eyes, “Dad, I had forgotten about it. I was sparring with Master Vincent-”

 

His grandfather’s eyes hardened, “Master Vincent was in a council meeting with me during the time, Aleksandr.”

 

Aleks flushed from being caught in the lie and remained silent as the room was filled with tension. His family had never been this strict with him before and he wondered what his punishment would be.

 

His father sighed and sat back in his throne, “Aleks, I can’t keep having you run off like this. Seamus and Edwin have already covered your tail enough and I will not stand having my only son run off to places unknown. If you will not tell me where you were for these past hours, I have no choice-”

 

Aleks’ eyes widened and his head shot up in desperation, “Dad, _no_ -”

 

“You’re forbidden from leaving the castle’s grounds until your birthday-”

 

Aleks felt his breath catch in his chest, “Please, Dad no, I have things that I-”

 

His father held up his trident as if in warning, the gold glowing and immediately causing the prince to silence, “You will meet Princess Clara tomorrow afternoon. I expect you to be on your best behavior and treat her with respect. Is that clear?”

 

Aleks could only picture James sitting in the grotto and waiting for a friend who would never come, “Of course, Father.” He muttered, bowing slightly to the pair and storming out of the hall.

 

He darted down the long halls and finally into his room, feeling Eddie and Seamus behind him as he sat himself on his window’s edge, remaining quiet as the pair slowly swam over to him.

 

Eddie was the first to speak, “Aleks, we’re so sorry, man.” He whispered as he reached out for the younger.

 

Aleks gazed at the hand and shifted farther out onto the edge, a hurt expression forming on Eddie’s face at the action. Seamus frowned and glanced at Eddie, who nodded and swam from the room.

 

Seamus sighed and followed him, but not before turning and gazing back at the prince, “I told you this would happen, Aleks. We warned you-”

 

Aleks glared over his shoulder, “Get out.” He spat.

 

Seamus felt a wave of hurt at the harsh words, but shook his head and nodded to himself as he remembered that it was Aleks’ pain speaking, he wasn’t himself.

 

And he was going to do something about it.

 

\--//--

 

“This is insane.” Eddie hissed as Seamus weaved around the obstacles in their path.

 

Seamus pulled at his wrist, “We have to do something. If Aleks can’t explain his situation, then we at least have to do it for him.”

 

Eddie gawked at the blond’s change in attitude, “I thought you said that this human, this ‘ _James_ ’ guy, was a bad idea?”

 

Seamus shrugged, “I never said that I liked him. I’m doing this for Aleks’ sake,” he paused and stopped once they reached the notorious jumble of rocks. “If Aleks is going to be put on house arrest for months with guards at his door nonstop, don’t you think this human at least needs an explanation of it?”

 

Eddie crossed his arms and gazed up at the soft waves above them, “What if he attacks us or is afraid and swims away and tells the other humans about us-”

 

Seamus grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the grotto’s entrance, “Well, if Aleks is anything like he said he was, we’ll be fine.” He whispered, blinking as they finally emerged into the small depth of water in the grotto.

 

They spotted a pair of human feet dangling into the water and they exchanged glances as they hesitantly surfaced, meeting eyes with the human’s wide ones.

 

Seamus had to admit that the human wasn’t _bad_ looking and that he’d never seen someone like him in Atlantica. His eyes were dark, as well as his hair and tanned skin that was covered with cloth that was what Seamus understood as their daily attire.

 

Eddie drifted behind Seamus’ shoulder, his stare a mix between curiosity and fear. Seamus took a breath and watched for a moment as the human’s eyes softened strangely.

 

“You must be Seamus and Eddie.”

 

Seamus nodded curtly, mouth hesitantly opening to speak, “You know of us?”

 

James lifted his feet from the water and Seamus watched in amazement as he crossed them to sit underneath him, “Well, apparently you’re Aleks best friends, so yes I do hear a lot about you,” he paused and frowned a bit. “I know enough to know that you’re afraid of me, just as Aleks was, and that you think I’m a monster.”

 

Eddie shifted so that he stood beside Seamus, “We’ve heard quite a lot about you from him too.”

 

James raised his brow, averting his eyes, “Like what?”

 

Eddie took a soft breath, “He’s told us a lot, actually. But I remember him talking a lot about you surfing and how you treat him normally as if he’s not in line to the throne.”

 

James’ head ducked at the mention of Aleks’ royal position, “Look, I know I shouldn’t even be talking to him in the first place, but this isn’t something that I can just _forget_.”

 

James sighed, kicking his feet softly through the water, “Where is Aleks, speaking of him?”

 

Eddie scratched the nape of his neck, “Well, that’s why we’re here actually-”

 

Seamus rolled his eyes, “He’s grounded because he’s spending too much time with you and not enough time doing his _princely_ duties.”

 

James’ face fell greatly from what looked to be guilt and the two merman actually felt slight sympathy for the human, “Oh god, I didn’t mean to get him in trouble with his family. Is he okay?”

 

Seamus shrugged, “He’s locked up in his room because the King and his father set up a meeting with the Princess Clara of Atargatis,” he paused and glanced to Eddie. “Let’s just say that he has someone else that he’d like to be spending his time with,” he uttered.

 

James bit back a frown, not catching Seamus' mutter, “Princess?”

 

Eddie nodded, “He needs to marry, according to the King, in order to unite neighboring kingdoms. It’s what his father did, bless Princess Alexandria's soul, it’s what his grandfather did, bless Queen Lucida's soul, and it’s what Aleks will do. He only has one younger sibling and she can't assume the throne unless Aleks resigns, which is _highly_ frowned upon and dishonorable.”

 

James nodded, “I understand, it’s just-” He groaned, standing and pacing with his arms locked above his head, “He's explained everything to be a million times already about his duty and his place in the kingdom, but now he’s being arranged to a princess to marry and I never even told him goodbye. Why should he have to fucking marry a princess anyways if he doesn’t want to- It's _twenty fucking fifteen_ for fuck's sake!”

 

The mermen watched as the human ranted and groaned, fascinated by the man’s legs as he turned and often stomped and shuffled his feet uncontrollably. Seamus finally interrupted the pacing as he swam over to the edge of the water.

 

“He isn’t gone _forever_. He’s just occupied at the moment. We’ll tell him that we’ve told you of his reason of absence and he’ll be at least be at ease at that, he thought you’d think he abandoned you.” Seamus reassured, causing the human to sit back down.

 

James nodded, sighing, “Tell him that I’ll come back on Wednesday,” he paused, hesitating. “And that I have competition on Tuesday if he’d like to come again. It’s supposed to storm though, so I don’t know for sure.”

 

Seamus raised his brow, “He’s seen you surfing before?”

 

James tilted his head, slipping into the water, “He didn’t tell you? He helped me win actually with his support.” He said with a soft smile.

 

Seamus raised a brow and Eddie pulled at Seamus’ hand from under the water, “ _Well,_ it was nice meeting you, James. We have to go now.” He rushed out, tugging Seamus underwater and leaving a treading and down struck James behind.

 

\--//--

 

James quietly clicked the door shut behind him, his hair dripping onto the wooden floor as he held a beach towel at his shoulders. For three hours he had sat outside, simply watching the waves roll and digging his toes into the wet sand. He had just taken a dip into the water before running back to the house, giving him the excuse of practicing for the competition to use if Jordan and Dan asked any questions.

 

He toweled at his hair, slipping the wet rash guard shirt over his head and throwing it into the three male’s pile of laundry at the door. He saw no sign of the pair, the TV switched off and the kitchen light dimly lit. He assumed they were both sleeping soundly and began to make his way to his room until there was the sound of someone clearing their throat.

 

He groaned internally and turned, seeing a hand pull at a lamp’s string and the unsatisfied expressions of Jordan and Dan.

 

He smiled as if he was a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar, “ _Hey_ , guys.” He waved.

 

They raised their brows and James knew the look, sighing and taking a seat on the couch in front of them. It was quiet for a moment as they inspected him and Jordan finally spoke up.

 

“So, where were you?” He inquired, leaning forward.

 

James leaned back into the couch, knowing that none of them cared if the couch smelled of salt water and sun, “Out, out practicing for the competition on Tuesday.” He smoothed.

 

He caught Dan squinting at him and he swallowed, “You’re lying,” he paused and glanced to Jordan. “His mouth is hanging open and that means he’s lying. It's the same look he gave us when he said he didn't clear the DVR for all his wrestling marathons.”

 

James’ mouth immediately flew shut, exposing his lie and making Jordan furrow his brow, “James, where were you? C’mon, you can tell us. It can't be that bad.”

 

For a moment in his time of staring at the pleading faces of his two best friends, James contemplated telling them the truth. The truth of Aleks and the way he smiles and his ruby tail and the way the brunet yearns to meet the both of them one day. But, as James pictured the merman, he also pictured a crown on his head with a beaming princess by his side. His chest suddenly felt heavy and between the feelings running through his mind and the stares of his roommates, he couldn’t take it anymore.

 

“I’m going out. I'll be back before morning.” He muttered, ignoring Jordan’s faint grip on his forearm and Dan’s calls as he ran out the door and into his Jeep.  

 

As he drove, he noticed that the public beach to his left was empty. He pulled over, hauling a surfboard from the back of the car, strapping it to his ankle as he took a seat in the sand and shut his eyes briefly, waiting for the sound of waves in the quiet air of the night. 

 

\--//--

 

Aleks heard a knock at the frame of his room, but kept his unhappiness evident as he did not turn to greet the visitor. He remained on his bedroom’s window sill, tail swaying gently as he gazed down at Atlantica’s golden lights as they began to glow and flicker on.

 

“Aleks?” A soft voice whispered, making Aleks turn immediately.

 

He met the eyes of his younger sibling, Annabelle, and immediately gestured for her to swim over to him; holding her at his side comfortingly. She was not even seven years of age and Aleks could already tell that she resembled their mother, just as he did; her hair a dark, flowing brown and her eyes a bright hazel.

 

She pressed her face into his shoulder, a frown plastered on her lips as she stared up at him, “Why’re you so sad? You didn’t come down for dinner and you didn’t come practice singing with me. I don’t like you like this, 'Sandr.”

 

Aleks smiled at the old nickname and brushed a few fingers through her hair, “I’m just not feeling up to singing or coming down to eat tonight, Belle.” He said softly, “M’head hurts and my stomach’s not feeling too well either.”

 

The girl glanced down and poked at his abdomen, “You feel just fine to me.” She mumbled stubbornly.

 

He laughed softly and recalled a time when he would poke at her stomach to make her laugh when they had their dining lessons. She would giggle and their etiquette instructor would turn and give the princess a stern look before blabbering on about which fork to use.

 

Her voice pulled him back from the memory, “Grandpa says that you’re being ‘unprincely-like’ and that I’m going to meet another princess tomorrow that you might marry. I've never met another princess that's even close to my age before. Isn't it exciting?”

 

Aleks sighed, “I suppose so,” he paused. “Her name is Clara.”

 

Annabelle’s lips broke out into a smile, “That's a pretty name. I heard she has the prettiest tale. It’s all purple and pink and I heard the servants say that you two would make the prettiest little merbabies-”

 

Aleks smiled and picked her up by her underarms, lifting her into the air and causing her to giggle loudly, “Now, _why on earth_ would you be thinking of things like that? You’re a little _merbaby_ yourself.” He teased, setting her down as she flailed in his grip.

 

She wrapped her arms around his waist, “I’m almost old enough to train for my powers. You got your powers at six, it's only fair that I learn mine now.” She pouted.

 

He hummed, “And I’m sure you’ll be spinning whirlpools throughout the kingdom, for sure.”

 

She giggled and swam away from him, a smile on her face as she exited the room, “Goodnight, 'Sandr. Grandpa says we’ll be having a special breakfast in the morning to prepare for your day with Princess Clara. I'm sure you'll love her. All princesses are nice.”

 

He smiled partially, not looking forward to the morning, “I'm sure she is, Belle. G’night, I love you and please don't spend hours obsessing about this princess thing, alright?”

 

He heard her loud ‘ _no promises_ ' and ' _love you too_ ’ from down the hall where her bedroom was located, smiled, and swam back over to his ledge. He couldn’t fall asleep, not now. He had thoughts of meeting a girl he was silently arranged to marry in a few mere hours. He would much rather have dreaming thoughts of meeting a tan and bright eyed human instead; the ways that he’d much rather spend the day strolling around the kingdom, explaining his life to the raven haired man. It'd be much easier to do than with a girl that he'd just become acquainted with. 

 

His thoughts drifted to his mother, how she’d passed quickly on a dark night, he himself hiding behind his father’s shoulder so he did not have to witness his mother shaking and clutching onto his father’s hand. He learned later that she died from a bad illness that not even the best healer in the kingdom could solve. Her last breaths were made peppering kisses onto he and his sister's foreheads, whispering words of comfort and reassurance as she passed. 

 

He looked onto the citizens entering their homes and parting as they went their separate ways. He could see Seamus and Eddie’s home from here, the building only having a few remaining lights to be seen on.

 

Glancing down, he spotted guards doing their normal patrol around the grounds, knowingly staring up at the prince’s vibrant tail as it hung from the high ledge. He rolled his eyes and did his best to forget about his house arrest, leaning his head back in frustration. He pulled his tail up to his chest, wrapping his arms around it and leaning his throbbing forehead into his arms. 

 

He missed James. If he were sat in the grotto at this very moment, the human would be making him laugh to get the current frown off his face and tell him stories of his day. Aleks felt a small smile form at the glorious thought, but it disappeared as he shook himself out of his own cruel teasing. 

 

“Poor child, poor sweet child,” A voice broke the silence, making Aleks’ head rise in confusion, “He has a very serious problem.”

 

Aleks watched as a pair of large eels swirled around him, easily slipping past him and into his room, but never stopping as they circled around him, “If only there was something we could do,” The other eel spoke.

 

“But there is something,” The previous eel interrupted.

 

Aleks blinked, sitting up straight and warily staring at the pair, “Who are you? What do you want?” He asked, not understanding how they had trailed up the entire castle without being spotted.

 

The eels must’ve sensed his worry, tutting and approaching him closely, “Oh, don’t be scared, Aleksandr. We represent someone that can help you.” They said in sickening persuasion, “Someone who can make _all_ your _dreams_ , _come true_.”

 

Aleks’ breath caught in his throat as they whirled around his torso and tail, making a noise of protest as they closely examined his face, “My dreams? You don’t know-”

 

They ignored his blabbering, “Just imagine, you and your human, together forever.” They whispered tauntingly. 

 

He froze, shaking his head and avoiding eye contact, “I don’t understand. How do you know about him? You couldn’t possibly know about him.”

 

“ _Persephone_ , of course, has great powers.” They murmured.

 

Aleks shook his head, gasping, “The sea witch? She’s not even- I couldn’t ever do that. _No,_ go away before I call the guards. _Get the fuck out of here_ , leave me alone.” He hissed, folding his arms once again.

 

The eels hummed and Aleks’ stomach churned at the eerie sound, “Alright, suit yourself,” they paused and began to swim away slowly. “It was only a suggestion before you are valued only by your marriage and locked up in a castle for the rest of your life. We are only trying to mend the wrong doings of forcing unwanted arrangements onto you.”

 

Aleks lifted his head, swallowing and watching as the eels’ tails swerved in the water. He bit at his cheek, “Wait,” he called softly. 

 

They immediately turned, as if they knew he would give in, “Yes?”

 

“If I go with you, will you tell no one in Atlantica of the human? Not my father or grandfather?” He asked softly.

 

The eels exchanged glances and nodded solemnly, “Of course, we were not going to tell even if you did not agree to our offer, your Highness.”

 

Aleks glanced over his shoulder. He could picture Annabelle sleeping soundly in her bed, while his father sat in his study and his grandfather slept soundly. He stared at his dresser, where a glass case carefully sheltered his crown. The silver crown was made especially for him to match his tail and as he continued to stare at it, a hatred for the object began to build up inside of him. Annabelle always wanted to marry a prince and become queen since she could read.  

  
He turned to the eels, “Take me to see, Persephone.”


	4. you're my fault, my weakness

Aleks met the cold grey eyes of the sea witch, a smile appearing on her red lips as she swam out from her dark corner. Aleks held back a gasp at the sight of her. Every scale on her tail was purely black, just as he had heard when he was younger. Her hair was the same midnight color, her skin pale from the lack of sunlight in her cavern.

“Now, we mustn’t have learned to lurk in doorways, did we now Prince?” She smoothed out, “It’s rude, you know.”

He eased forward, the eels swiping their tails slyly across his face. She smiled at his motions towards her, inching her pointer finger forwards.

She laughed softly and turned, moving over to sit at a vanity pushed against the wall, “Now, you’re here my dear because you have an interest in a specific human boy?” She asked.

Aleks swallowed, crossing his arms and taking a stable breath before speaking, “Yes, I would like to think so.”

The sea witch smiled in the mirror, “Nothing to be ashamed of, my love. He’s quite handsome, if I say so myself.” She paused and ran a hand through her hair, “Well, I can tell you this, the only way to get what you want is to _become a human_ yourself.”

Aleks’ gaze fell to the floor, “You can do that?” He asked.

The sea witch seemed offended at the question, “Of course, of course! That’s what I live for! To help poor merfolk, like yourself.”

Aleks met her eyes, his arms falling at his sides, “Persephone, I am not here to play games. I know of the magic that you do-”  
  


She glared, rolling her eyes and swimming over to a cabinet full of bottles with strange labels on them, “The magic of which you speak of is the same magic that will be able to grant you legs, so I suggest that you quiet.” She hissed.

Aleks hesitantly swam over to her, watching as she poured and mixed ingredients into a large container of liquid that glowed vividly. She smirked as he peered into the liquid, waving her hands around the glow of the liquid until a bright light shown.

She gently grabbed his forearm, pulling him closer to her as the light died down, “Now, here’s the deal,” She paused and waited for a nod from the prince, “I have just enough ingredients to make you an enchantment that will make you human for a _month_.”

He stared at the light as it formed an outline of him, his tail transforming into a pair of legs before his eyes, “A month?”

She clicked her tongue and swirled the glow once again, changing the picture, “Sounding so ungrateful before I even get down to the details; that’s a prince's attitude for you.” She paused and slowed the swirling of the glow, “You will have a month to be a human and a month to do a favor for me.”

Aleks’ breath ceased for a moment as a shining image of James appeared, a bright smile on his face as he laughed silently. He clenched his hands together at his sides and remained silent as Persephone continued.

“The favor I am asking is,” She inched her pointer finger closer, “To find someone on the land that I need.”

Aleks’ furrowed his brow, “Find someone? Who could you possibly need on the shore?”

Persephone scoffed, “If you want to get into the details, I don’t exactly need a specific human, but a specific power that the human holds. The legend states that the human holds the key to unlocking an ingredient to an enchantment that I need and the only way to obtain the human is to have a descendant of Poseidon with the royal birthmark, that being you, find them.”

Aleks crossed his arms, blinking at the stilled image of human legs before him, “Why do you need this ingredient? What enchantment could you possibly be conjuring, Persephone?”

The sea witch groaned, smoothing her hand out before swimming over to take a seat at her vanity, “You see, Aleks, I am not happy with my current outlook on life,” she ran a dark lip color over her mouth. “I wish to become human, as well. It is something that we both share a desire of and I need this ingredient to make an enchantment that will allow me to become human and mermaid at will.”

Aleks lowered his hand, running it through his hair and brushing it over the small birthmark at the nape of his neck, “And after the month of being human, I will return to being a merman?”

The sea witch smiled and nodded, “Guaranteed.” She said, placing a hand over her heart, “Unless, you would like to obtain a necklace similar to the one I wish to make?”

Aleks’ eyes widened.

“Oh, you do?” She smoothed out, smiling sinfully as he glared at her in confusion, “You wish to be a part of both worlds? Worlds of your family and of this human you’ve grown attached to, yes?”

She continued before he retort at her accusations, “Well, now we have quite an uneven deal, don’t we?” She placed her hands together, glancing at him through the clear vision of the mirror, “Well, now you must bargain something in order to receive the necklace, my dear prince.”

He felt his chest sink at the statement. What did he have to give to the sea witch? He had gold, but certainly the woman did not care of the arbitrary value of money at the moment. He had the power to give her anything she wanted.

“What do you require other than the ingredient for the necklace, Persephone?” He asked, his eyes peering at her smirking expression.

“Only a promise of your return in bringing me the ingredient for the necklace, Aleksandr. That is all I require.” She replied.

Aleks raised a brow, “How do I know you will not use the ingredient against Atlantica? You’ve always hated the Seven Kingdoms.”

She sighed, swimming over to the cabinet once again and pouring in a blue liquid into the container, then crossing a black mark over where her heart was located, “I swear I will not use the necklace in any detrimental way. A sorceress never breaks her oaths, it is done. Now, to the contract?” She proposed with a smile.

Aleks watched as a golden contract appeared before him, one of the two eels approaching him with a quill in their grasp. He read over the contract, reading everything that Persephone had already said to him in fine print.

He gripped the quill in his hands, looking away as he scribbled his signature ‘ _Prince Aleksandr Adrian III_ ’ onto the parchment. The paper rolled up quickly, the air around him suddenly seeming so much more dense than before.

The sea witch laughed, the glow of the liquid changing rapidly, “Stand still, dear.” She said, golden steam swirling over the liquid darting to Aleks’ tail as suddenly felt his chest tighten as he fought for air.

Glancing down, he saw that his tail was no longer the same red that it was before, but simply a dimmed silver. Bubbles escaped his mouth and he discovered that he could no longer speak underwater.

He gasped as he watched in horror as a small wisp of ruby red floated from his tail and in front of him, making its way into a charm on Persephone’s neck. She smiled wickedly at him as he stared at her with wide eyes, an image taking over the glow suddenly.

It was James. Aleks’ eyes widened even more.

He was drifting on his surfboard as if he was waiting for a wave to roll in. His eyes seemed tired and Aleks wondered why he was out in the water so late.

Persephone smirked, waving her hand over the liquid, “You better hurry if you don’t want him to drown.” She whispered, watching in satisfaction as James fell from the board and into the water.

Aleks wanted to yell out for the boy, but only released another round of bubbles as he glared harshly at Persephone, who simply shrugged.

“He is not five minutes from here, if you hurry he’ll still be alive by the time you drag him onto the shore.”

Aleks struggled to dart from the cavern, looking back at the sea witch as she stood at the entrance of the cave, waving to him. Aleks swallowed and reached the surface, breathing heavy as he spotted the bright color of James’ board. He dove back under the waters, finally spotting the human as his ankle was still thankfully hooked onto the safe strap on his board. 

Aleks wrapped his arms around the older’s middle, pulling him to the surface, placing him onto the board carefully, and swimming towards the aching shore. Aleks suddenly felt fatigued, his eyes becoming lidded slightly as he began to pull the human back to the wave crashing, wet sand. 

Suddenly, there were sounds of the shouting of James’ name and Aleks’ eyes widened, quickly placing James safely onto the wet sand, touching his cheek briefly, and slipping back into the water.

His eyes peeked over the soft waves as he watched two familiar humans run over to James in concern. They shook him and James woke with a harsh cough, heaving as the human with the red hat helped him sit up. Carefully, they helped him stand and slung their arms around him as they returned to their vehicle.

Aleks breathed out in relief, ducking back under the water to follow the bright lights of the car along a road not too far from the beach. He lost the vehicle at some points, his breaths becoming ragged and rough trying to keep up with the speeds of it, but eventually reached the waters behind of James’ home.

The two humans helped James out from the car, wrapping a towel around him as they ushered him inside. Aleks felt a wave of nausea wash over him again as a strong wave pushed against his back, knocking him over completely as he tumbled onto the shore. Aleks winced as he suddenly felt his tail numb and a bright light take over his lower half. He blinked and gasped as he spotted the loss of silver below, now replaced with his upper half’s skin tone and a pair of slim legs.

Groaning softly, he wobbled to stand as he kept his eyes on the single light on in James’ house. He stumbled, often falling in the soft sand as he trekked over to the large wooden stairs of the back porch. He gripped the thick wooden railing, gasping for air momentarily as a hand flew to his neck to find his usual gills gasping for air.

He felt a sharp pain in his chest and his eyes darted to the large body of water that James described as an ‘in ground pool’ to his right. The ‘pool’ was inserted into the deck and seemed to shine with a light at the end of the large body of water. 

His legs suddenly gave out from under him as he made his way to the edge of the pool, pulling himself into the water and feeling a large weight of nausea leave him immediately. The water felt oddly like the sea's salt consistency and it comforted him as he treaded with his newly found legs. He remained treading under the soft cooling water for a moment, bubbling out a few breaths before settling onto the pool’s floor tiredly and allowing darkness to settle around him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will be from James' point of view. hope you enjoyed. xx


	5. reached the bottom of this ocean floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Follow My Tumblr](http://tropicalaleks.tumblr.com/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "shouldn't be a good in goodbye" by jason walker.

With a harsh cough, James rolled over to his side, bitter salt water exiting his mouth. He blinked, seeing that he was laying on the couch in his livingroom. He attempted to sit up, only to have his head pound and force him to lie back down. He let out a groan and heard noise in the kitchen, his head turning and noticing a foot-tapping Jordan with a pair of earbuds in. James rolled his eyes and noticed Dan sat on the counter across from him, his eyes lighting up as he spotted the awakened man.

 

“James! Thank god, you’ve been out for hours!” He said, hopping off the counter and catching the attention of Jordan, who smiled at James’ tired and disoriented eyes.

 

“Hey, you alright?” Jordan asked, switching off the stove as he carried over a plate of poorly made eggs and bacon.

 

James took the plate, immediately making a face and setting it onto the table, smiling nonetheless at the two, “Yeah I’m good, I think,” he paused and ran a hand over his face, “How’d I end up on the couch again?”

 

Jordan took a seat beside Dan on the couch, slinging an arm over his shoulder, “We found out totally out of it on your board on the beach a few miles down the road.”

 

James sat up fully, suddenly noticing the bitterness in his mouth, “I feel like I just swallowed a whole cup of fucking salt water.” He complained, reaching up to rub at his throat.

 

Jordan let out a soft laugh, “Well, that’s what you get for going out to surf so late at night. You shouldn’t have run away like that.” He said, Dan nodding in agreement.

 

James groaned at their unneeded worry, “I just needed to clear my head for a while,” He paused and grabbed a piece of bacon from Jordan’s plate, “What time is it?”

 

“Around two or three, we called your coach to tell him you couldn’t make-”

 

James’ eyes widened, “Oh shit, practice! The guys are going to kill me.” He frantically attempted to stand, only to have Jordan pull him back down onto the couch.

 

“You _need_ to _rest_. Your coach said it was fine, given the circumstances that we found you passed out on the beach and all.” Jordan said with a small smile, to which James sighed and leaned back into the couch.

 

He covered his eyes with his hand, “I have to get back in the water some time before I have that competition on Tuesday.”

 

Jordan smiled in knowing, “James, just take a break for the rest of the day. If not for yourself, for Dan and I?”

 

James swallowed, nodding faintly and smiling as the pair of men made their way back into the kitchen, picking up his own plate and suddenly realizing that he was not hungry, “Am I allowed to go out on the deck?”

 

Jordan nodded, gesturing to the bottle of water on the kitchen table as well as the blanket at his feet, “Take those out there with you. You were shaking in your sleep a few minutes ago and you have to be dehydrated from all that salt water you coughed up.”

 

James reluctantly took the bottle and blanket, wobbling as he stood and began to walk over to the sliding door. It was just barely sunrise and he couldn’t remember the last time he watched the sun come up over the waves. He’d forgotten the beauty of the ocean with his new position on the diligent surf team. Taking a seat in one of the loungers set at the bottom of the deck’s stairs, he sighed and took a swig of water, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders as he watched the waves roll in and out onto the shore. He tried thinking about why he had taken a dip into the water so late at night anyways, just barely remembering his torn thoughts of not being able to see Aleks anymore. Just thinking of the man made him clutch the blanket in his grasp, his eyes shutting as he willed himself not to be weak enough to hope to picture Aleks’ grin or bare skin beside him.

 

There was the sound of the glass door opening and closing behind him and James peaked an eye open to see Jordan taking a seat on one of the loungers beside him. The light haired man had a book in hand, his trademark red baseball cap sitting on his head.

 

James took a swig of water, letting out a sigh as he watched the wave roll in and out, “Since when you do read?”

 

Jordan smiled, pushing open the book, “I’ll have you know that I started reading a few weeks ago. Dan’s got me hooked onto Norse mythology and the amount of novels based on the subject alone is alarming.”

 

James nodded, too distracted by the thoughts of red and silver.

 

He doesn’t know what came over him in that moment, but for some reason, he wanted a level of reassurance on his mind. Jordan wasn’t the best friend to consult for advice, evidence being James getting stung by a sea urchin at his first surf practice because of the taller’s advice of trying to find his digital watch in the clouded waters; but he was as reassuring as a human could be when it came to sincerity and life troubles.

 

“Do you think people should have the choice to marry whoever they want? Even if, say, that person isn’t rich or very high status-wise?”

 

Jordan eyes peaked in curiosity at the question, but he nonetheless set his book down and hummed, “Well, I think your feelings for someone matter more than a higher authority or anyone else’s opinion.”

 

James ran a hand over his face, “What if, what if their family doesn’t allow them to see the other person because they already have someone else that has been chosen for them?”

 

Jordan made a face, closing his book completely and turning his body to face James’, “Sounds as if they have a really awful family if they don’t care about their happiness enough to let them choose to be with whoever they want to be with,” Jordan paused, pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes, “Is this about like, having a crush on another surfer from another team or something? Because if it is, we totally support you and your Coach can’t keep you two from-”

 

James waved him off, cracking a small smile at the other for thinking that he could have feelings for one of his teammates, “No, of course not. I was just thinking.”

 

Jordan pressed his lips together, nodding to himself as if in disbelief, “Sounds more than just thinking to me.”

 

They sat in silence, Jordan eventually going back to his book while James laid back to catch the drifting sun on his skin and soothe his anxious thoughts by listening to the water. Thoughts quickly turned into images behind his lids with flashes of Aleks popping out of the water, Aleks swimming in circles around him, and Aleks hiding behind the rocks during his competition. He finds himself drifting off at the memories, the sound of Jordan letting out a sigh, the feeling of a blanket fully covering his legs, and the unknown period of silence being the last thing he remembers before he hears a scream.

 

He’s immediately waken up by the deep, yet alarmed sound of and turns to find Jordan clutching his chest as he stumbles back from the pool’s edge. James blinks in confusion, his eyes narrowing as he catches bubbles rising from the pool’s surface.

 

Jordan notices James’ rising figure from the lounging chair and struggles to stand, “Look in the pool!” He yells, apparently terrified, “James, look in the pool!”

 

James’ heart nearly jumps from his chest as he sees the pale body at the base of the pool. There are faint bubbles reaching the surface, so he rules out the dark thought of the man being dead, seemingly only unconscious. He notices a head of floating brown hair and immediately pulls off his shirt to jump into the water.

 

Jordan sends him a terrified expression, “James! What are you doing-”

 

James sucks in a breath and pushes through the water to reach the man. Grabbing their willowy wrist, James makes a realization on the man’s identity that has him utterly confused as he surfaces and pulls the man to his chest to get a good look at his face for confirmation.

 

 _It’s Aleks_. The dark lashes, thin, pink lips, and pale skin confirms it.

 

Jordan helps pull the brunet from the pool and onto the deck, wrapping a towel around Aleks’ unconscious frame as James frantically pulls his back onto his lap; hands attempting to find a pulse on his neck and inner wrists. James’ face falls in relief as he senses a faint heartbeat, but it has James spiraling into a sea of worries and questions about how Aleks got here. He almost forgets about the absence of the ruby tail until he notices Aleks' naked bottom half. James casts a weary glance down to his unblemished legs and thighs, averting his gaze in an abnormal sheepish gesture as Jordan kneels beside him, obviously shocked and overwhelmed.

 

“He looks around our age. How did he, how do you think he got up here? I mean, Dan and I would have noticed if some drunk guy stumbled up from the beach and onto the deck. Don’t you think?”

 

James doesn’t pay attention to his rambling as he rests Aleks’ head down onto his abandoned shirt and brushes the dark hair from the forehead swiftly. James had gotten opportunities to see Aleks with his eyes shut as the prince took naps occasionally in their grotto, but he had never seen him so quiet and motionless.

 

Dan suddenly pushes the door open, eyes going wide at the sight of the barely clothed male, “Jesus Christ! I was gone for five minutes to check some emails,” he pauses and kneels beside Jordan, “I heard yelling, but I thought James had just kicked some sand on you or something.”

 

Jordan looks to James with uncertainty as the older stares in anxiousness at the mysterious man as if he was a dear friend, “He needs to be taken to the hospital, James.”

 

James narrows his eyes and almost snaps at the sandy haired man’s ignorance of taking a merman -or former merman, in this case- to a human hospital, but bites his tongue. He shakes his head instead and looks out to the ocean, debating on whether to tell his friends of Aleks’ secret.

 

( _“If I was a human, would your friend like me?” Aleks asked suddenly as James sifted through the collection of sand dollars he had broughten him._

_The older answers confidently, “Of course they would.”_

_Aleks looked unsure of his quick answer, “James, be serious, please. Would they like me even if they knew what I was?”_

_“Aleks, you make anyone like you from your shitty jokes.”_

_The brunet gasped and splashed James abruptly at the reply, “I do not tell shitty jokes, you ass. I think my jokes are even better than yours!”_

_James chuckled and shook his head, a soft smile settling as he answered earnestly, “They would like you, yes. They would like your awful merman jokes and how curious you are about humans and would want to know every little fucking thing about your world. You have nothing to worry about.”_

_Aleks looked at the man for a moment before smiling, “And they’d actually teach me how to surf, yeah?”_

_James rolled his eyes, “Sure, they’d teach you how to surf because it’s not like I’m a professional surfer or anything. Thanks Aleksandr.”_

_Aleks laughed._ )

 

James decides in that moment that he wants to tell them. He wants to tell them about Aleks’ ruby tail with silver scales that sparkled in the water. He wants to tell them about how Aleks was there during competition that day. He wants to tell them how much he hates himself for fucking caring about this man that he cannot even confess his dilemma to because of his royal status and the restriction between them because of it.

 

“We can’t.” He instead gets out.

 

Jordan furrows his brow, “What? Of course we can, we just need to move him into the Jeep and drive him down to the emergency room-”

 

James shakes his head, “No, we can’t take him to a regular doctor, Jordan. He can’t go there. They would hurt him.”

 

Dan’s own faces flashes a look of confusion before he gestures to the unconscious brunet before them, “Do you know him?”

 

James swallows, looking down at Aleks’ softly rising chest before nodding, “I do, actually. Very well.”

 

Jordan raises a brow, sitting back on the balls of his feet, “How well, exactly, um, James, do you know this naked guy?”

 

James looks down at Aleks and softly begins, “He’s eighteen years old. His birthday is September first. He loves music. He has a younger sister named Annabelle,” his voice is barely above a whisper, “He’s a prince and a mermaid -I'm sorry, merman- that I met when walking the beach a few weeks ago.”

 

James continues, “His tail is this shining red and it has silver scales in it that you can only see if you look close or if you have some type of light with you. His eyes are brown, but there are also subtle red specks in them, which he is stubborn enough to say are nonexistent when I bring them up.”

 

He looks up to meet Jordan and Dan’s looks of disbelief and frowns, “I don’t know how he fucking lost his _tail_ or how he got up here, but we have to help him. He’s a friend, guys. He came to me for a reason. It must be important.”

 

They’re all quiet, exchanging silent conversations until Jordan finally speaks up, “Is this the guy you were asking me about earlier?”

 

James tenses at the reminder of the questions of marriage and social statuses, but nods nonetheless in desperation, “The last time I saw him, it was when he had told me that he was a prince.”

 

James meets Jordan’s unreadable eyes. Jordan turns to give Dan a look before they both nod and stand. James stares in confusion and is about to start ranting another truthful explanation, when suddenly Jordan smiles.

 

“Let’s get him inside, then. He might just wake up in time for dinner."


End file.
